I Secretly Healed the Illness of the Twin Princesses While Wearing a Mask, and Now the Entire Kingdom Is in an Uproar ~Please Stop Trying to Expose the Street Healer~ - Chapter 56

I went to visit Maidall, the attendant of Christina and Victoria.

“Welcome back, Asuku-sama.”

“Hey.”

“So, what brings you here today?”

I skipped small talk and went straight to the point.

The reason I came to see Maidall was to learn about Victoria’s likes and habits.

“I see. You wish to know about Victoria-sama to help with your date.”

“Yes. Even small things are fine. Please tell me.”

“Then please take this guidebook.”

“A guidebook?”

As I tilted my head, Maidall lifted her long skirt and pulled out a thick book.

“Wait, where did that come from just now?”

“Oh my, please don’t look at me like that. A maid’s skirt can hold anything.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, it is.”

If that’s how it works, then I guess I had no choice. Still, I didn’t understand what she meant by guidebook.

I opened the book she gave me.

“…That’s scary.”

The pages were filled with detailed notes about Victoria’s daily life.

How many times does she turn over in bed at night? What time does she wake up? What she eats in the morning. How many times does she chew before swallowing?

What she looks at, and for how many seconds. What she looks away from, and for how long.

I learned for the first time that when disgust goes too far, it turns into fear.

“What is this book?”

“It is a guidebook I made myself. One set for Christina-sama and one for Victoria-sama. Each has 49-volume. The special 50-volume set will be finished next month.”

“That’s terrifying. I got goosebumps. How did you record all this in such detail…”

“Heehee, that is a secret.”

Feeling deeply uneasy, I kept reading while Maidall quietly laughed.

She even explained things as we went.

“Victoria-sama enjoys watching people. She likes mystery stories and plays detective stories.”

“Oh.”

“She also has a very strong sex drive, so she pleasures herself three or four times a day—”

“Stop. I don’t need that kind of information. And knowing that much is seriously scary.”

“Heehee, thank you very much.”

“I’m not praising you.”

I didn’t know people this unhinged really existed. She was honestly terrifying.

“Her favorite foods are sweet desserts and grilled chicken skewers.”

“Grilled chicken? Princess Victoria likes that?”

“Yes! When she was young, she once sneaked out of the castle and ate in town. She never forgot the taste. Even now, she still sneaks out sometimes to eat it! And the way she feels embarrassed about it is just adorable!”

“Shouldn’t you stop her from sneaking out of the castle if you’re her attendant?”

Even so, I gained more than I expected.

I couldn’t hope for good grilled chicken in this empire where the food is awful, but visiting bookstores might be a good idea.

“By the way, Asuku-sama. This isn’t a payment or anything, but may I ask you one question?”

“What is it?”

“What do you think is wonderful about Victoria-sama?”

I stopped turning the pages of the guidebook and froze.

A pressure that felt very close to killing intent filled the room.

…This was a woman who wrote a full book about Victoria by herself.

Even if Victoria was the one who pushed things forward, I might still be an unwelcome person to Maidall.

If I answered wrong, she might attack me.

I couldn’t answer carelessly. But it was also a question I couldn’t really answer.

“Well, I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know?”

“Princess Victoria is a beautiful girl. She has a big chest, and she is very forward with the person she likes. That’s about all I know about her.”

Since I didn’t know her well, being asked what was wonderful about her was difficult.

“So my answer is that I can’t answer that question.”

“…I see. Then I will tell you one good thing.”

“A good thing?”

“Both Christina-sama and Victoria-sama are truly precious because of their hearts.”

“Their hearts?”

Maidall nodded hard and looked very excited.

Y-yeah, her mood suddenly changed.

“Asuku-sama, do you know what slime is?”

“A slime, you mean the weakest monster, the one that can even be dried and used as food?”

“Yes, that slime.”

Why did this suddenly turn into a slime story?

“Slimes are weak, fragile, and easy to kill. They are nothing special. But even so, they are monsters. If one appears in town, people normally kill it.”

“That’s true.”

“But when Christina-sama and Victoria-sama were young, they were different. They found a weak slime that had wandered into the castle garden. Instead of killing it, they treated its wounds and gave it food.”

“Yes, I see?”

“What would you do, Asuku-sama? Would you save the slime?”

“That depends.”

I answered without hesitation.

Their kindness was truly amazing. It was something worth respecting.

But still…

“What do you mean by that?”

“If the slime attacks people, I would kill it. Removing danger is part of survival.”

“Then how would you tell if it will attack people?”

“…I don’t know?”

“Then you would have no choice but to kill it, wouldn’t you? Since it might attack people.”

Hmm, that’s true.

“In the end, humans cannot accept beings that may harm them. That is why Christina-sama and Victoria-sama, who are different, are so precious.”

“I see.”

“…Let me be clear. I truly hate you from the bottom of my heart because Victoria-sama is coming after you.”

“You’re really being very direct.”

Even so, the killing pressure was intense.

I felt it before, during the magic tournament, and when we met in the underground dungeon of the capital. Now I finally understood where that pressure was coming from.

“And I hate those people who chase after their beauty, drawn to them like hyenas gathering around a corpse.”

“With that example, the two of them would be the corpse.”

“Details do not matter. Ah, my apologies. I forgot to serve tea. Please, have some.”

“Thank you.”

I drank the tea she gave me. It warmed my throat. Delicious.

“…I cannot leave Victoria-sama with anyone except someone whose heart I truly accept.”

“How can I earn that acceptance?”

“Humans are creatures who control themselves with reason. When that reason is lost, a person’s true nature is revealed.”

“True nature?”

“Yes, true nature. Are you someone who casts healing magic at night just to look good, a fake kind person? Or are you a true saint who helps others? I wish to know the difference.”

I froze.

Wait? Does she know that I go around healing people at night under the name Faceless or Nameless?

“Heehee. You look surprised, but it is obvious to me.”

“…How did you know?”

“I cannot see, but my other senses are sharp. Sound, smell, the flow of the wind… I can tell from those.”

Amazing. I should change how I walk from now on.

“Why you hide your identity and do such things doesn’t matter. I don’t care. I only want to know your true nature. So… I added something to your tea.”

“Huh?”

“I put a drug in the tea that takes away the reason. Don’t worry. It only lasts for about half a day, and it’s not poisonous.”

“…Now that you say it, I feel like I can’t think straight…”

Maidall laughed.

It was a very evil smile, somehow reminding me of that pathogen.

“Now, show me. Show me your true self. Your human, ugly, evil heart!! Gluttony, lust, laziness, greed… Anything, show me your real nature!!”

“―I want to heal people.”

“Huh?”

“I want to wipe out every sick and injured person in this world. Make it look as cool as possible.”

“…huh?”

I jumped out the window of the room.

The sun was still high in the sky, and the weather was perfectly clear.

◇　◇　◇

Afterword

One-Point Story

Author: “Normally, would you drink tea that was suddenly offered after being told ‘I hate you’?”

A: “It was offered, so I drank it…”

If you thought, “The guidebook made me laugh,” “Don’t drink clearly suspicious stuff,” “Maidall looked confused,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.